Video-game publisher THQ holds mock North Korean protest

San Francisco
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While there has been buzz about protests in North Korea, the video-game publisher THQ held a mock North Korean protest of their own to promote their new video-game.

Seoul, in an attempt to prompt a country-wide revolt against North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il, has been sending balloons with leaflets attached explaining the protests in Egypt and Libya as reported by Business Insider. Since early February, South Korea have launched about 2.4 million balloons and are continuously helping the oppressed citizens of North Korea. In reply, Kim Jong-Il has threatened all-out war with South Korea.

Meanwhile, the video-game publisher THQ, in what might be coincidence, held a mock protest against North Korea to promote their newest video-game release, Homefront.

THQ went ahead with a mock anti-North Korean protest in the San Francisco area with staged actors marching across the Golden Gate Bridge and ending their trek at the Yerba Buena Gardens, Joystiq reports. The game features a prominent setting in the San Francisco area, as well as southern California and Nevada.

10,000 balloons were released and "global experts" held inspiring speeches about the regime while local entertainment was provided as part of the "peaceful protest" theme in raising awareness in what is happening in North Korea.

While THQ's Executive Vice President, Danny Bilson, reassures that the mock protest is more so to raise awareness with the current situation of North Korea, he also admitted to trying new ways to drum up advertising in a unique way for their video-game release.

Homefront uses the same "what if" scenario of the movie Red Dawn, and it is no coincidence that the writer for Red Dawn and Apocalypse Now also wrote the storyline for Homefront. The United States is invaded and occupied by a dictatorship--North Korea--and the player must fight their way through hordes of enemies in guerilla warfare.

THQ proudly announced that Homefront also has garnered the most pre-orders than any other game they have released, as reported by Games On Net, with the game releasing in mid-March.